Chapter 19: Amri

I walk back into Melford with a smile on my face. Damion said yes. He loves me. He wants to be in this with us. He's willing to die for me.

That thought stops me in my tracks. Am I even right to ask him to do that for me? No. I'm not. I'm the most selfish, horrible human being to ever have existed. Tears line my eyes. Should I even talk to Vincent? Should I ask him to reveal himself to Damion? It's a life sentence if I do.

I look up to see Magic Mike walking through the doors from the cafeteria. He stops when he sees me, eyeing me from down the hallway.

"What's wrong, gyna?ka?"

His words catch me off guard. He's never spoken to me before, much less called me by a nickname.

"Um…" I stare at him, wondering if I should bare my heart to this man, a stranger pretty much, or if I should keep my worries to myself.

"Does this have anything to do with the young nurse that follows you around? Did he hurt you?"

"Oh, no! Of course not."

He takes a few slow steps toward me, "Trouble in paradise, then?"

Fuck it. What do I have to lose?

"How do you know if you're making the right decision? What if the only way you can be with the one you love…is by putting them in danger?"

"Does he love you, too?"

I nod. "Yes."

"Does he know about the danger?"

I nod again.

"Then it is his decision."

"But – "

Mike shakes his head. "No, child. If the one you love knows the consequences and decides to love you anyways, then it is not up to you. It is up to them."

The way he talks, it's like he knows my situation. It's like he' been in this situation before. "You…you lost your love, didn't you?"

"Yes, my Sienna. I work now to get back to her."

"I hope you do, Mike."

"Mikael, please. Incompetent institution got my name wrong and now everyone calls me Mike or Michael." He shakes his head, causing me to let loose a small giggle. He smiles at me then.

"Promise me one thing, child."

I stay silent, waiting on this requested promise from another mental patient.

"Promise me, you will fight for love. Do not let it be taken from you. If it does…you will lose a part of yourself, too."

I swallow down the emotion clogging my throat. "I will, Mikael."

"Good." He sighs, "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a few items to collect."

"If you ever need anything, just let me know."

"Thank you, but I'm afraid the only thing that can save me is this place burning to the ground."

With that, he leaves me alone in the hallway as he turns down the wing for male patients.

I take a deep breath, feeling better after talking to a self-proclaimed witch. Better than I ever would have felt talking to myself.

After arriving back in my room, I toe my shoes off and climb into bed, immediately reaching out for Vincent. Before I know it, I'm standing in his bedroom, staring at him while he stares out the window.

"This isn't your normal time, is everything okay?" He turns toward me, running his fingers through his dark hair as he looks me over. "Good Hades, Amri." He storms over to me, taking my hands in his and running his thumbs across the marks on my wrist.

I pull my hands out of his, a laugh escaping me. "Oh, calm down, you overprotective Reaper. He didn't do anything I didn't agree to."

His eyes narrow, "You mean he did more than this?"

I glance over to my arm where a cut lay, slowly starting the healing process. "Well…"

"Fucking Callyx. I told him to take it easy on you your first time."

"I didn't need easy, Vincent. I needed exactly what he gave me."

I watch as confusion washes over his face. "Why?"

"That's a story for another time."

"Amri."

I smile, walking over to his bed and sitting down on the edge. "I came here to talk to you, actually."

He walks over to the bed, standing in front of me with his legs blocking in mine. "Is everything okay, siren?"

"More than okay, actually, but I need you to hear me out and not get mad."

"Why would I get mad?"

"Because I don't know how you're going to feel about this. So, please, promise me."

He stares at me for a moment before nodding. "Okay, I promise I won't get mad."

I take a deep breath, trying to gain confidence in what I'm about to ask of him. Zain and Callyx already agreed. Unhappily, but still, they agreed. Damion agreed. So now all I have to do is get Vincent on board, and he's the main one, because if he doesn't agree, then I'm screwed.

"I know I haven't said it to you yet, but I love you, Vincent. And I love Callyx and Zain. But…I also love Damion. I want this with you, I want this relationship, but it doesn't feel right without Damion in it, too. So…I asked him to join us." Vincent stares at me, not a word coming from his mouth. Eventually, I can't take the silence anymore. "He said yes."

Vincent looks down at me in silence, and right before I lose control and make a break for it, he smiles. "I knew you could do it."

I stand up, surprise no doubt taking over my features. "What?"

"I knew you could do it."

"Do what?"

"Make this decision for yourself. Decide what you wanted and act on it instead of dealing with the card's life is handing to you. "

I look at him with disbelief in my eyes, "And you're okay with this?"

"I know he loves you, Amri. I've seen it myself. Of course, I'm okay with you being with someone who loves you. And I really think he can be an asset to our bond once he comes out of his shell a little bit."

I sit back down on the bed, "Huh. I didn't expect that."

"But," he slides a finger underneath my chin and lifts my head, "this doesn't mean that I own you any less."

A shiver goes through my body with his words, and all I can do in response is nod.

"Is that what you came all this way to tell me, siren, or is there more?"

"Um…" I have to clear my throat before I continue. Good God, there's something about a man claiming what's his that absolutely does me in. "There is one more thing. Damion says if he's in this, then he wants to be fully in this. Meaning he wants to be able to formally meet you, and then be able to see you afterwards."

"That's a reasonable request. Tell him to fall asleep with you tonight and I'll make it happen."

He leans down and kisses me, rolling his tongue around in my mouth before sucking mine into his. I lean into him, moaning when his hands find their way into my hair and start to pull backwards. My back arches, pushing me further into his body and making me grab onto him for stability.

He pulls away, making me groan in protest. "Now, it's the middle of the day and I am sure you have some training to get back to."

I roll my eyes. "Ugh. I hate you." I stand up and straighten my scrubs out before starting the walk back to the mirror.

I feel his hand smack against my ass, making me groan out in pain and turn around to find him smirking behind me. "No, you don't. You love me."

I turn back around, a smile on my face as I enter the mirror and head back to my sleeping self.

The silver immediately assaults my eyes when I step through, and the humming returns. It is softer than the first time I entered the mirror, but it's still annoying. It makes my skin itch.

Remembering what I did the first time, I quickly make my way through the sludge surrounding me and find the exit showing my sleeping form on the other side. One quick step through the portal, and I shoot up from my bed.

"He really said yes." I laugh to myself, getting out of the bed and slipping my shoes back on before walking out the door and into the white hallway.

I walk quickly, excited to tell Damion and Zain the news – excited to finally feel like my life is going in the direction I want it to. I'm happy and I'm loved. My emotions aren't overwhelming me every day, and I can control my moods and outbursts now. Things I didn't think were ever a possibility are finally, finally becoming my reality.

I'm so lost in my thoughts I don't see him until I'm almost passing the cafeteria doors. I don't realize how close he is until he has me pinned against the wall and his hot breath is washing over my face.

"Well, hello there, Amri. Fancy seeing you here."

I grit my teeth, wiggling against his hold and trying to break free. "Fuck you, Royce. Let me go."

I try to shove my knee between his thighs, since that's really the only move I know to disengage someone holding you like this, but he's so tall and moves so fast that my leg has no chance of reaching where I need it to.

"Now, now, Amri. I told you I wasn't done with you."

He leans in, running his tongue up my face and instantly making me gag. "Royce, you have five seconds before I start calling for help."

"Do it, then. I like when they scream."

With that, he slides one arm across both of mine, trapping me against the wall with his forearm and he takes his other hand and begins to rub my nipple through my shirt.

My heart starts to beat out of my chest. Flashbacks from when I was younger start to slam into my mind. He used to hold me this same way, trap me and tell me to scream. No one would come. His heavy breath would coat over me the same as Royce's is right now. My eyes fill with tears as Royce's hand travels lower and I open my mouth to scream but all that comes out is a sob.

No one ever came when I was younger. No one would come now. I close my eyes, watching memory after memory assault me and make me flinch on the inside and the outside.

Scream, Amri. Don't let the past control you. SCREAM!

Finally, I let out a scream so loud it echoes down the empty halls. "Help! Someone help me!"

Royce laughs as I scream and kick my feet, trying anything and everything to get away from him. He pushes his arm tighter against me, cutting off circulation and making me grimace in pain.

His hand slides in my waistband, "That's it, honey. Scream for me."

"Help! Someone help me!"

Staring into his eyes, watching the darkness in them become the most terrifying thing I've ever seen in my life, makes the fear festering in me become unbearable.

I lose control of my body, it instantly going into fight mode as it wiggles, twists and turns. I hear boots in the hallway, men yelling, but none of it fully registers. I'm focused on escaping.

Royce leans in closer and I take my chance, slamming my forehead into his and screaming when the pain registers in my own. Royce stumbles back, dropping me loose from the wall in the process. Hs hand flies to his forehead where it now drips with blood.

"You bitch!" He rushes me again, and I look over to see a guard standing with a weird looking gun in his hand. The guard screams something I'm not able to recognize with the ringing in my ears, but that doesn't stop Royce. He grabs my arm and pulls me to him as I watch the guard take aim and pull the trigger.

I expect Royce to go down. I expect him to let me go. But he doesn't.

Instead, a sharp pain radiates from my thigh. I open my mouth to yell, but nothing comes out. Royce brings me to the ground, laughing as I watch the guards run toward us.

Black starts to consume my vision, and the last thing I see before blacking out is Royce's face hovering above mine.